JP6726997B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a processing liquid.

In a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate using a processing liquid, the nozzle is connected to a processing liquid supply source via a pipe, and a discharge valve inserted in the pipe is opened to supply the processing liquid to the nozzle. To be done. As a result, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle onto the substrate. When the discharge valve is closed after the processing of the substrate is completed, the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP, 2010-212488, A

In order to keep the processing conditions of each substrate constant, it is required to adjust the amount of the processing liquid supplied to each substrate to a constant amount. For example, the time from the opening of the discharge valve to the closing of the discharge valve is adjusted to be constant. However, the processing liquid drops from the nozzle due to inertia even after the discharge valve is closed. If the amount of the processing liquid dropped varies, the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate also varies.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of adjusting the amount of a processing liquid supplied to a substrate to be constant.

As a result of repeated experiments and consideration, the inventor of the present invention supplies the processing liquid to the substrate due to variation in the distance between the lower end of the processing liquid remaining in the nozzle and the lower end of the nozzle when the processing liquid is stopped in the nozzle. It was found that the amount of treatment liquid varies.

(1) A substrate processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that performs processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, the processing liquid nozzle ejecting the processing liquid onto the substrate, and the processing liquid on the processing liquid nozzle. A treatment liquid supply system for guiding the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle; a plurality of valves provided in the treatment liquid passage; and a valve control unit for controlling the plurality of valves. The plurality of valves include an on-off valve that can be switched between an open state and a closed state, and a flow rate adjustment valve that can adjust the opening degree.The flow rate adjustment valve is provided downstream of the on-off valve, and valve control is performed. The section sets the states of the plurality of valves such that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value during the processing period, and opens the flow rate adjusting valve at the first time point at the end of the processing. The flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path is decreased to a second value lower than the first value by starting to decrease the flow rate, and the processing liquid flow path is closed at a second time point after the first time point. The on-off valve is closed so that it is closed.
(2) The flow rate adjusting valve may be a flow rate adjusting valve whose opening is adjusted by controlling a motor.
(3) A substrate processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that performs processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, the processing liquid nozzle ejecting the processing liquid onto the substrate, and the processing liquid on the processing liquid nozzle. A treatment liquid supply system for guiding the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle; a plurality of valves provided in the treatment liquid passage; and a valve control unit for controlling the plurality of valves. And the valve control unit sets the states of the plurality of valves such that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value during the processing period, and the first time point at the end of the processing. Then, at least one state of the plurality of valves is changed so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a second value lower than the first value, and a second value after the first time point is changed. Changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at a time point, and the plurality of valves include first and second opening/closing valves that are switched between an open state and a closed state, The processing liquid channel includes first and second channels, the first channel is provided so as to guide the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, and the first and second opening/closing valves are the first channel. And the second flow path is provided so as to bypass the second on-off valve, and the valve control unit maintains the first and second on-off valves in the open state during the processing period. At the time point 1, the second open/close valve is switched to the closed state while maintaining the first open/close valve, and at the second time point, the first open/close valve is opened while maintaining the second open/close valve in the closed state. Switch to the closed state.

In this case, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle through both the first and second flow paths during the processing. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value. During the period from the first time point to the second time point, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle only through the second flow path. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the second value. Therefore, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle can be gradually reduced from the first value with a simple configuration.

(4) The treatment liquid supply system may further include a pull-up unit that raises the liquid level of the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle after the treatment is completed.

In this case, the treatment liquid remaining in the treatment liquid nozzle after the treatment is prevented from dropping due to its own weight. This sufficiently prevents variations in the amount of the processing liquid remaining in the processing liquid nozzle. Further, it is possible to prevent processing defects from occurring on the substrate due to the dropping of the processing liquid.

(5) The processing liquid nozzle may be stationary above the substrate at the first time point and the second time point during the processing.

In this case, the processing liquid is stably supplied to the substrate from the first time point to the second time point. Thereby, the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate can be adjusted with high accuracy.

(6) A substrate processing method according to a third aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method of performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, the step of introducing the processing liquid to a processing liquid nozzle by a processing liquid supply system, and the processing liquid. Discharging a processing liquid from a nozzle to the substrate, and the processing liquid supply system includes a processing liquid flow path for guiding the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, and a plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid flow path. The plurality of valves include an opening/closing valve that is switched between an open state and a closed state, and a flow rate adjusting valve that can adjust an opening degree, and the flow rate adjusting valve is provided downstream of the open/close valve, and the processing is performed. The step of introducing the processing liquid to the liquid nozzle includes the step of setting the states of the plurality of valves so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a first value during the processing period; Decreasing the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path to a second value lower than a first value by starting to decrease the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve at a first time point at the end; Switching the on-off valve to a closed state so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at a second time point after the first time point.
(7) A substrate processing method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method for performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, the method including a step of introducing the processing liquid to a processing liquid nozzle by a processing liquid supply system, and a processing liquid nozzle. From the substrate to the substrate, and the processing liquid supply system includes a processing liquid channel for guiding the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle and a plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid channel. The step of introducing the treatment liquid to the step of setting the states of the plurality of valves so that the flow rate of the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid flow path becomes the first value during the treatment period, and the first step at the end of the treatment. A step of changing at least one state of the plurality of valves so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a second value lower than the first value at a time point, and a step after the first time point. Changing at least one state of the plurality of valves so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at a second time point, the plurality of valves being switched between an open state and a closed state. Two opening/closing valves, the processing liquid flow path includes first and second flow paths, the first flow path is provided so as to guide the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, and the first and second opening/closing valves are provided. The valve is provided in the first flow path, the second flow path is provided so as to bypass the second on-off valve, and the steps of setting the states of the plurality of valves during the process include the first and second steps. The step of changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves at the first time point, including maintaining the second on-off valve in the open state, includes maintaining the first on-off valve in the open state. The step of changing at least one state of the plurality of valves at the second time point including switching the on-off valve to the closed state includes closing the first on-off valve while maintaining the second on-off valve in the closed state. Including switching to a state.

According to this substrate processing method, the supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle is stopped after the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is reduced from the first value to the second value. Therefore, at the time when the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the kinetic energy of the processing liquid in the processing liquid nozzle is small. As a result, the amount of the treatment liquid that drops from the treatment liquid nozzle after the supply of the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle is stopped is small, and the amount of the treatment liquid that has dropped hardly varies. Therefore, the distance between the lower end of the processing liquid remaining in the processing liquid nozzle and the lower end of the processing liquid nozzle hardly varies. Further, since the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is switched by the plurality of valves, the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is less likely to vary. With these, the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate can be adjusted to be constant.

In this case, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle through both the first and second flow paths during the processing. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value. During the period from the first time point to the second time point, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle only through the second flow path. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the second value. Therefore, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle can be gradually reduced from the first value with a simple configuration.

According to the present invention, the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate can be adjusted to be constant.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a typical perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the supply path of the chemical|medical solution in a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of each processing unit. 6 is a time chart for explaining opening and closing of each valve when processing a substrate with a chemical solution. It is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the state of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows the modification of a processing unit. 8 is a time chart for explaining opening and closing of each valve when a chemical solution is processed in the processing unit of FIG. 7. It is a figure for demonstrating an example and a comparative example.

Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a substrate refers to a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a PDP (plasma display panel), a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for an optical disc, or the like.

(1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 performs a process using a chemical solution as a processing solution on a substrate (hereinafter, referred to as chemical solution processing). The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an indexer unit 10, a processing unit 20, and an auxiliary unit 30. The indexer unit 10 is provided with an indexer robot 11 and a control unit 200. The substrate before the chemical treatment is carried into the indexer unit 10 while being accommodated in the cassette. The indexer robot 11 takes out the substrate before the chemical treatment from the cassette and transfers the substrate to the transfer robot 15 described later. Further, the indexer robot 11 receives the substrate after the chemical treatment from the transfer robot 15 described later and returns the substrate to the cassette. The control unit 200 controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

The processing unit 20 includes processing unit groups U1, U2, U3, U4 and a transfer robot 15. The processing unit groups U1 and U2 are arranged side by side along one side surface of the processing section 20, and the processing unit groups U3 and U4 are arranged side by side along the other side surface of the processing section 20. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the processing unit groups U1 to U4 includes a plurality of processing units 21 stacked vertically. In this example, each processing unit group includes three processing units 21, and a total of 12 processing units 21 are provided. In each processing unit 21, the substrate is processed with the chemical solution.

As shown in FIG. 1, a transfer robot 15 is provided in a space surrounded by the processing unit groups U1 to U4. The transfer robot 15 transfers the substrate before the chemical solution processing received from the indexer robot 11 to each processing unit 21 of the processing unit groups U1 to U4. Further, the transfer robot 15 takes out the substrate after the chemical solution processing from each processing unit 21 of the processing unit groups U1 to U4 and transfers the substrate to the indexer robot 11.

The auxiliary unit 30 includes a liquid circulation chamber 31. The chemical liquid is supplied from the liquid circulation chamber 31 to each processing unit 21 of the processing unit groups U1 to U4 of the processing unit 20.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a chemical solution supply path in the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 3, a liquid tank 41 is provided in the liquid circulation chamber 31. The chemical liquid tank 41 stores the chemical liquid used for the chemical liquid treatment of the substrate. As the chemical liquid, for example, SC1 (ammonia hydrogen peroxide water mixed liquid), SC2 (hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide water mixed liquid), SPM (sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide mixture), hydrofluoric acid or buffered Hydrofluoric acid is used.

One end and the other end of the circulation pipe PC are connected to the chemical liquid tank 41. A pump 42, a temperature control device 43, and a filter 44 are inserted in the circulation pipe PC. The pump 42 pumps the chemical liquid in the circulation pipe PC so that the chemical liquid flows from one end to the other end of the circulation pipe PC. As a result, the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 41 is circulated through the circulation pipe PC. The temperature control device 43 is arranged upstream of the pump 42 and adjusts the temperature of the chemical liquid passing through the circulation pipe PC to a predetermined value. The filter 44 is arranged downstream of the pump 42 and removes foreign matter from the chemical liquid passing through the circulation pipe PC.

One end and the other end of the processing circulation pipes P1, P2, P3, P4 are connected to the circulation pipe PC downstream of the filter 44, respectively. The processing circulation pipes P1 to P4 extend from the liquid circulation chamber 31 to the processing unit 20 and from the processing unit 20 to the liquid circulation chamber 31. In the processing section 20, the processing circulation pipe P1 extends so as to pass near the processing unit group U1, the processing circulation pipe P2 extends so as to pass near the processing unit group U2, and the processing circulation pipe P3 The processing circulation pipe P4 extends so as to pass near the processing unit group U3, and extends so as to pass near the processing unit group U4. The other ends of the processing circulation pipes P1 to P4 are connected to the position of the circulation pipe PC downstream of one end of the processing circulation pipes P1 to P4.

A plurality of branch pipes Pd are provided so as to correspond to the plurality of processing units 21, respectively. The plurality of processing units 21 of the processing unit group U1 are respectively connected to the processing circulation pipe P1 via the corresponding branch pipes Pd. Similarly, the plurality of processing units 21 of the processing unit groups U2 to U4 are respectively connected to the processing circulation pipes P2 to P4 via the corresponding branch pipes Pd.

The temperature of the chemical liquid flowing through the circulation pipe PC is adjusted to a constant temperature by the temperature control device 43, and is purified through the filter 44. The purified chemical liquid is guided to the processing section 20 through the processing circulation pipes P1 to P4 and then returned to the liquid circulation chamber 31. Further, the chemical liquid is introduced from the processing circulation pipes P1 to P4 to each processing unit 21 through each branch pipe Pd.

(2) Configuration of Processing Unit FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of each processing unit 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 21 includes a chemical liquid processing chamber 21a and a chemical liquid supply unit 21b. The chemical liquid processing chamber 21 a includes a rotation holder 110, a processing cup 120, and a processing liquid nozzle 130. The rotation holding unit 110 includes a spin base 111, a rotation shaft 112, and a rotation driving unit 113. The spin base 111 is fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 112, and a plurality of holding pins 111 a are provided on the spin base 111. The plurality of holding pins 111a come into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the substrate W, so that the substrate W is held horizontally. The rotation shaft 112 is rotated by the rotation drive unit 113, so that the substrate W held on the spin base 111 is rotated around a vertical rotation center line.

The processing cup 120 is provided so as to surround the rotation holding unit 110 and receives the chemical liquid scattered from the substrate W. The chemical solution received by the processing cup 120 is collected or discarded. The processing liquid nozzle 130 is movably provided between a position above the substrate W and a position outside the substrate W, and discharges the chemical liquid toward the substrate W at the position above the substrate W.

The chemical liquid supply unit 21b includes a branch pipe Pd, a discharge valve Vd, a suck back valve Vs, and a flow rate adjustment unit 150. The discharge valve Vd and the suck back valve Vs are inserted in the branch pipe Pd. The flow rate adjustment unit 150 includes a front stop valve Vp, an auxiliary pipe Pt, and a restriction unit Vc. The front stop valve Vp is inserted in the branch pipe Pd. The auxiliary pipe Pt is connected to the branch pipe Pd so as to bypass the front stop valve Vp. The restriction portion Vc is inserted in the auxiliary pipe Pt. Hereinafter, in the flow rate adjusting unit 150, the flow passage including the front stop valve Vp and the branch pipe Pd is referred to as a main flow passage, and the flow passage including the restriction unit Vc and the auxiliary pipe Pt is referred to as an auxiliary flow passage.

One end of the branch pipe Pd is connected to the processing liquid nozzle 130, and the other end is connected to any of the processing circulation pipes P1 to P4 in FIG. In the branch pipe Pd, the front stop valve Vp is provided downstream of the discharge valve Vd, and the suck back valve Vs is provided downstream of the front stop valve Vp. The suck back valve Vs raises the liquid surface position in the processing liquid nozzle 130. This prevents the chemical liquid in the processing liquid nozzle 130 from dropping onto the substrate W by its own weight during the period when the chemical liquid should not be supplied to the substrate W. For example, the suck back valve Vs is a diaphragm valve driven by air. In the following description, opening the suck back valve Vs means that the liquid level in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is pulled up by the suck back valve Vs, and closing the suck back valve Vs means sucking the valve Vs. Means that the liquid level in the processing liquid nozzle 130 cannot be pulled up.

The discharge valve Vd and the front stop valve Vp are, for example, air valves driven by air, and open and close the flow path of the chemical liquid. The restriction portion Vc is, for example, an orifice, and restricts the flow rate of the chemical liquid passing through the auxiliary pipe Pt. In this example, the flow rate adjusting unit 150 is provided downstream of the discharge valve Vd, but the flow rate adjusting unit 150 may be provided upstream of the discharge valve Vd.

The suck back valve Vs, the front stop valve Vp, and the discharge valve Vd are connected to the air supply source 160 via air supply pipes 161, 162, 163, respectively. A pressure adjusting portion 161a is inserted in the air supply pipe 161, a pressure adjusting portion 162a is inserted in the air supply pipe 162, and a pressure adjusting portion 163a is inserted in the air supply pipe 163. The pressure adjusting units 161a, 162a, 163a adjust the pressures of the air given to the suck back valve Vs, the front stop valve Vp, and the discharge valve Vd, respectively. The control unit 200 controls the pressure adjusting units 161a, 162a, 163a to switch the suck back valve Vs, the front stop valve Vp, and the discharge valve Vd between open and closed.

By opening the discharge valve Vd, the chemical liquid is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 130 through the branch pipe Pd. In this case, in the flow rate adjusting unit 150, when the front stop valve Vp is opened, the chemical liquid flows in both the main flow path and the auxiliary flow path. On the other hand, when the front stop valve Vp is closed, the chemical solution flows only in the auxiliary flow path. Hereinafter, the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 will be referred to as the supply flow rate. Further, the supply flow rate when the chemical solution flows in both the main flow path and the auxiliary flow path is called a processing flow rate, and the supply flow rate when the chemical solution flows only in the auxiliary flow path is called a limited flow rate. Since the flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the auxiliary flow path is limited by the limiting portion Vc, the limited flow rate is smaller than the processing flow rate. In the present embodiment, the processing flow rate and the limiting flow rate are constant. The processing flow rate and the limiting flow rate may be appropriately changed depending on the content of the chemical liquid processing.

(3) Opening and Closing of Each Valve During Chemical Solution Processing FIG. 5 is a time chart for explaining opening and closing of each valve during chemical solution processing of the substrate W. The change in the flow rate (supply flow rate) of the chemical liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is shown in the upper part of FIG. The lower part of FIG. 5 shows the opening and closing of the discharge valve Vd, the front stop valve Vp, and the suck back valve Vs. The horizontal axis represents time. In this example, the chemical liquid is ejected from the treatment liquid nozzle 130 to the central portion of the substrate W while the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stationary above the substrate W.

In the example of FIG. 5, the discharge valve Vd and the suckback valve Vs are closed and the front stop valve Vp is opened at a time point t1 before the chemical liquid treatment. In this state, the chemical liquid is not supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle 130. At time t2, the discharge valve Vd is opened. As a result, the chemical liquid is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 130 through the branch pipe Pd, and the chemical liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 130 to the central portion of the substrate W. In the flow rate adjusting unit 150, the chemical liquid flows through both the main flow path and the auxiliary flow path. In this case, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is the processing flow rate F1. The period from the time point t2 to the time point t3 corresponds to the period of the chemical solution treatment.

At time t3, the front stop valve Vp is closed. As a result, in the flow rate adjusting unit 150, the chemical liquid does not flow through the main flow path, but the chemical liquid flows through only the auxiliary flow path. As a result, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 decreases to the restricted flow rate F2.

At time t4, the discharge valve Vd is closed. As a result, the supply of the chemical liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped, and the discharge of the chemical liquid from the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped. The period from time t3 to time t4 corresponds to the end of the chemical liquid treatment. Then, at time t5, the suck back valve Vs is opened. As a result, the liquid surface position in the processing liquid nozzle 130 is raised.

As described above, in the present embodiment, at the end of the chemical liquid processing of the substrate W, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is gradually reduced. Specifically, after the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is reduced from the processing flow rate to the limit flow rate, the supply of the chemical liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is stopped. The time when the supply flow rate is the processing flow rate and the time when the supply flow rate is the restriction flow rate may be appropriately changed depending on the content of the chemical liquid treatment.

The transition speed of the discharge valve Vd from the closed state to the open state (hereinafter referred to as the open speed), and the transition speed of the discharge valve Vd and the front stop valve Vp from the open state to the closed state (hereinafter referred to as the close speed). ) Affects the amount of chemical liquid supplied to each substrate W. The opening speed of the discharge valve Vd and the closing speeds of the discharge valve Vd and the front stop valve Vp are set to be constant so that the supply amount of the chemical liquid to each substrate W does not vary.

(4) Chemical Liquid in Treatment Liquid Nozzle The state of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 after the supply of the chemical liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped depends on the state of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 immediately before the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped. Depends on the supply flow rate. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the state of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130. The processing liquid nozzle 130 of FIG. 6 includes a horizontal portion 130a and a vertical portion 130b. The vertical portion 130b is provided so as to curve downward from one end of the horizontal portion 130a extending in the horizontal direction and extend.

In the example of FIG. 6A, the flow rate of the chemical solution immediately before the supply of the chemical solution is stopped is the processing flow rate, and in the example of FIG. 6B, the flow rate of the chemical solution immediately before the supply of the chemical solution is limited. The flow rate. The example of FIG. 6A corresponds to a comparative example, and the example of FIG. 6B corresponds to an example of the present invention. 6(a) and 6(b), the liquid level LS1 is after the discharge valve Vd (FIG. 4) is closed and before the suck back valve Vs (FIG. 4) is opened (FIG. 5). After the time point t4 and before the time point t5), and the liquid level LS2 is after the suck back valve Vs (FIG. 4) is opened (after the time point t5 in FIG. 5). Shows the liquid level of the drug solution.

When the flow rate of the chemical liquid immediately before the supply of the chemical liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is the processing flow rate, the inside of the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped when the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped (when the discharge valve Vd is closed). The kinetic energy of the liquid medicine is large. Therefore, a relatively large amount of the chemical liquid drops from the processing liquid nozzle 130 immediately after the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6A, the distance L from the lower end of the treatment liquid nozzle 130 to the lower end (liquid level LS1) of the chemical liquid becomes long.

Further, the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the processing liquid nozzle 130 after the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped is likely to vary. Therefore, the distance L in FIG. 6A easily varies. The distance L affects the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W that is carried into the chemical liquid processing chamber 21a next.

Furthermore, the liquid droplets DL of the chemical liquid are likely to adhere to the lower end of the processing liquid nozzle 130. The droplets DL may cause processing defects of the substrate W by dropping on the substrate W, and may become particles by solidifying and separating from the processing liquid nozzle 130. Further, in the treatment liquid nozzle 130, the chemical liquid may be separated into a plurality of portions (in this example, the portions R1 and R2). When such separation of the chemical liquid (hereinafter, referred to as liquid shortage) occurs, discharge of the chemical liquid to the next substrate W is not stably started.

On the other hand, when the flow rate of the chemical solution immediately before the supply of the chemical solution to the processing solution nozzle 130 is stopped is the limited flow rate, the kinetic energy of the chemical solution in the processing solution nozzle 130 is small when the supply of the chemical solution is stopped. Therefore, the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the processing liquid nozzle 130 immediately after the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped is small. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the distance L from the lower end of the treatment liquid nozzle 130 to the liquid surface LS1 of the chemical liquid becomes shorter.

In this case, there is almost no variation in the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the processing liquid nozzle 130 after the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped. Therefore, the variation in the distance L is extremely small. Therefore, the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W can be adjusted to be constant. Further, the possibility that the chemical liquid will adhere to the lower end of the processing liquid nozzle 130 is low. As a result, it is possible to prevent the droplets from dropping onto the substrate W and the generation of particles. Furthermore, the possibility that the chemical liquid will be separated into a plurality of portions within the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is low. Therefore, the discharge of the chemical liquid to the next substrate W is stably started.

The supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 can be gradually decreased from the processing flow rate by reducing the closing speed of the discharge valve Vd without using the flow rate adjusting unit 150. In this case, the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the treatment liquid nozzle 130 after the supply of the chemical liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped can be reduced. However, when the discharge valve Vd is an air valve, if the closing speed of the discharge valve Vd is reduced, it becomes difficult to accurately adjust the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is gradually reduced only by opening/closing the front stop valve Vp and the discharge valve Vd, the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W can be accurately measured. Can be adjusted.

(5) Effect In the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, at the end of the chemical liquid processing of the substrate W, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is reduced from the processing flow rate to the limit flow rate, and then the processing liquid nozzle 130. The supply of the chemical solution to the is stopped. Thereby, the distance between the lower end of the chemical liquid remaining in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 and the lower end of the treatment liquid nozzle 130 hardly varies. Further, since the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is switched only by opening/closing the discharge valve Vd and the front stop valve Vp, there is almost no variation in the integrated amount of the chemical liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 130. Therefore, the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W can be adjusted to be constant.

Further, in the present embodiment, by maintaining both the discharge valve Vd and the front stop valve Vp in the open state, the chemical liquid is guided to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 through both the main flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage. After that, the front stop valve Vp is maintained in the closed state and the discharge valve Vd is maintained in the open state, so that the chemical liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle 130 only through the auxiliary flow path. Thereby, the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 can be gradually reduced with a simple configuration.

Further, in the present embodiment, the liquid level of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is pulled up by the suck back valve Vs after the chemical liquid treatment is completed. This prevents the chemical solution remaining in the processing solution nozzle 130 from dropping due to its own weight after the completion of the chemical solution processing. Therefore, variations in the amount of the chemical liquid remaining in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 can be sufficiently prevented. Further, it is possible to prevent processing defects from occurring on the substrate W due to the dropping of the chemical liquid.

Further, in the present embodiment, the processing liquid nozzle 130 is stopped above the substrate W during the chemical processing and at the end of the chemical processing. Thereby, the chemical liquid is stably supplied onto the substrate W. Therefore, the amount of the chemical liquid supplied to the substrate W can be accurately adjusted.

(6) Modified Example of Processing Unit FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the processing unit 21. Differences between the example of FIG. 7 and the example of FIG. 4 will be described. In the example of FIG. 7, the flow rate supply unit 21b includes a motor 164 and a flow rate adjustment valve Vp1 instead of the flow rate adjustment unit 150. The flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 is, for example, a needle valve. The control unit 200 can adjust the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 by controlling the motor 164. Thereby, the flow rate of the chemical liquid in the branch pipe Pd can be adjusted. In particular, by using a needle valve as the flow rate adjusting valve Vp, the flow rate of the chemical liquid can be adjusted with high accuracy.

FIG. 8 is a time chart for explaining opening and closing of each valve during the chemical liquid processing in the processing unit 21 of FIG. Differences of the example of FIG. 8 from the example of FIG. 5 will be described. In the lower part of FIG. 8, the opening/closing of the discharge valve Vd and the suck back valve Vs and the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 are shown.

In the example of FIG. 8, the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 is maintained at the maximum value Nmax at the time point t1. At time t2, when the discharge valve Vd is opened, the chemical liquid is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 130 through the branch pipe Pd, and the chemical liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 130 to the central portion of the substrate W. In this case, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is the processing flow rate F1.

During the period from time t3 to time t3a, the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 is gradually reduced from the maximum value Nmax to the intermediate value Nmid. As a result, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 decreases to the limited flow rate F2. The maximum value Nmax is an example of the third value, and the intermediate value Nmid is an example of the fourth value. At time t4, the discharge valve Vd is closed. As a result, the supply of the chemical liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped, and the discharge of the chemical liquid from the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is stopped. The opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 may be adjusted to 0 at or immediately after the time point t4. Then, at time t5, when the suck back valve Vs is opened, the liquid surface position in the processing liquid nozzle 130 is raised.

Also in the example of FIG. 8, the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is gradually reduced at the end of the chemical liquid processing of the substrate W. As a result, there is almost no variation in the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the processing liquid nozzle 130 after the supply of the chemical liquid is stopped. Therefore, the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W can be adjusted to be constant. Further, since the chemical liquid is unlikely to adhere to the lower end portion of the processing liquid nozzle 130, it is possible to prevent the liquid droplets from dropping onto the substrate W and the generation of particles. Furthermore, since the possibility that the chemical liquid will be separated into a plurality of portions within the processing liquid nozzle 130 is low, the discharge of the chemical liquid to the next substrate W is stably started.

Further, since the flow rate adjustment valve Vp1 gradually changes the supply flow rate to the processing liquid nozzle 130 from the processing flow rate F1 to the limiting flow rate F2, the kinetic energy of the chemical liquid in the processing liquid nozzle 130 gradually decreases. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a large droplet of the chemical liquid from dropping from the processing liquid nozzle 130 to the substrate W from the time point t3 to the time point t4. In addition, when the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 is a needle valve, it is difficult to completely adjust the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit Vp1 to 0 by the motor 164, and only the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 is used to supply the chemical liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle 130. It is difficult to completely stop the supply. Therefore, in this example, the supply of the chemical liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 130 is completely stopped by closing the discharge valve Vd. Instead of the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 and the motor 164, another configuration such as an electromagnetic valve (solenoid valve) may be used to gradually reduce the supply flow rate of the processing liquid nozzle 130.

(7) Examples and Comparative Examples As examples and comparative examples of the present invention, the chemical liquid was supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 under various conditions, and the state of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 after the supply was stopped was examined. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example and a comparative example. In the examples and comparative examples, the treatment liquid nozzle 130 shown in FIG. 6 was used. The total length Lt (FIG. 6) of the vertical portion 130b of the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is 80 mm. The radius of the curved portion of the vertical portion 130b is 40 mm. Further, the chemical liquid supply unit 21b of FIG. 4 is used in the example, and the comparative example has the same configuration as the chemical liquid supply unit 21b of FIG. 4 except that the flow rate adjustment unit 150 is not provided.

As shown in FIG. 9, in Examples 1 to 10, the treatment flow rate was set to 1500 mL/min, and the limiting flow rate was set to 100 to 1000 mL/min. Further, in Examples 1 to 4, the closing time of the discharge valve Vd was set to 1.0 sec, and in Examples 5 to 10, the closing time of the discharge valve Vd was set to 3.0 sec. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the supply flow rate to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 was set to 1775 mL/min.

As a result, in Examples 1 to 10, the distance L was 5 to 40 mm, in Comparative Example 1, the distance L was 73 mm, and in Comparative Example 2, the distance L was 60 mm. From this, it was found that the supply flow rate to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 was gradually reduced, so that the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the treatment liquid nozzle 130 after the supply of the chemical liquid was stopped was reduced. The smaller the amount of the chemical liquid dropped from the processing liquid nozzle 130, the smaller the variation in the supply amount of the chemical liquid to the substrate W. Therefore, in Examples 1 to 10, variations in the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the substrate W are smaller than those in Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

Further, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, liquid drops of the chemical liquid adhered to the lower end portion of the treatment liquid nozzle 130, and liquid shortage occurred in the treatment liquid nozzle 130. On the other hand, in Examples 1 to 10, no liquid droplets adhered to the lower end of the treatment liquid nozzle 130, and no liquid shortage occurred in the treatment liquid nozzle 130. Therefore, it was found that the supply flow rate to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is gradually reduced to prevent the droplets from adhering to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 and the liquid from running out.

In addition, in Examples 5 to 10, the distance L is smaller than in Examples 1 to 4. Therefore, it was found that the distance L was smaller when the closing time of the discharge valve Vd was 3.0 sec than when the closing time of the discharge valve Vd was 1.0 sec. Further, from the results of Examples 1 to 4, it was found that the restricted flow rate is preferably 500 mL or less, and more preferably 300 mL or less.

(8) Other Embodiments (8-1)
In the above embodiment, the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is reduced in two steps at the end of the chemical liquid treatment, but the present invention is not limited to this. At the end of the chemical liquid treatment, the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle 130 may be reduced in three or more stages.

(8-2)
In the above-described embodiment, the processing liquid nozzle 130 is stopped above the substrate W during the chemical processing and at the end of the chemical processing, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the processing liquid nozzle 130 may be moved between a position above the central portion of the substrate W and a position above the peripheral portion of the substrate W during the chemical liquid processing. At the end of the chemical treatment, it is preferable that the treatment liquid nozzle 130 be stationary in order to prevent variations in the treatment conditions.

(8-3)
In the above embodiment, the suck back valve Vs is used to raise the liquid level of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130, but the configuration for raising the liquid level of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 is not limited to this. For example, the suck back pipe may be connected to the branch pipe Pd, and the liquid level of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 may be pulled up by sucking the chemical liquid through the suck back pipe by the ejector. In this case, a needle valve, an orifice, or the like may be provided in the suck back pipe. Alternatively, the liquid level of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle 130 may be pulled up by sucking the chemical liquid from the branch pipe Pd according to the siphon principle.

(8-4)
In the above embodiment, the chemical liquid for performing the chemical liquid treatment on the substrate W is used as the processing liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate W or a rinsing liquid for rinsing the substrate W may be used as the processing liquid. The cleaning liquid and the rinse liquid are pure water, for example.

(9) Correspondence between each constituent element of the claims and each part of the embodiment Hereinafter, an example of correspondence between each constituent element of the claims and each constituent element of the embodiment will be described. It is not limited to the example.

In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is an example of the substrate processing apparatus, the processing liquid nozzle 130 is an example of the processing liquid nozzle, the chemical liquid supply unit 21b is an example of the processing liquid supply system, and the branch pipes Pd and The auxiliary pipe Pt is an example of the processing liquid flow path, the discharge valve Vd, the front stop valve Vp, and the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 are examples of valves, the control unit 200 is an example of a valve control unit, and the time point t3 is the first. Is an example of the second time point, the processing flow rate is an example of the first flow rate, and the limiting flow rate is an example of the second flow rate. Further, the discharge valve Vd is an example of a first on-off valve and an on-off valve, the front stop valve Vp is an example of a second on-off valve, the flow rate adjusting valve Vp1 is an example of a flow rate adjusting valve, and the branch pipe Pd Is an example of the first flow path, the auxiliary pipe Pt is an example of the second flow path, and the suck back valve Vs is an example of the pulling portion.

As each component in the claims, various other components having the configurations or functions described in the claims can be used.
(10) Reference form
(1) The substrate processing apparatus according to the first reference embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus that performs processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, and includes a processing liquid nozzle that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate and a processing liquid on the processing liquid nozzle. And a processing liquid supply system for guiding the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, a plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid flow path, and a valve control for controlling the plurality of valves. The valve control unit sets the states of the plurality of valves so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value during the processing, and the valve control unit sets the first state at the end of the processing. The state of at least one of the plurality of valves is changed so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a second value lower than the first value at a time point, and a second value after the first time point is changed. The state of at least one of the plurality of valves is changed so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at the point of time.
In this substrate processing apparatus, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle by the processing liquid supply system, and the processing liquid is ejected from the processing liquid nozzle onto the substrate. In the treatment liquid supply system, the treatment liquid is guided to the treatment liquid nozzle through the treatment liquid passage, and the flow rate of the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid passage is switched by the plurality of valves. During the processing of the substrate, the states of the plurality of valves are set so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value. At a first point of time when the processing of the substrate is finished, at least one state of the plurality of valves is changed so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the second value. At a second time point after the first time point, at least one state of the plurality of valves is changed so that the processing liquid flow path is closed, and the supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle is stopped. ..
In this way, after the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is reduced from the first value to the second value, the supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle is stopped. Therefore, at the time when the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the kinetic energy of the processing liquid in the processing liquid nozzle is small. As a result, the amount of the treatment liquid that drops from the treatment liquid nozzle after the supply of the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle is stopped is small, and the amount of the treatment liquid that has dropped hardly varies. Therefore, the distance between the lower end of the processing liquid remaining in the processing liquid nozzle and the lower end of the processing liquid nozzle is less likely to vary. Further, since the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is switched by the plurality of valves, there is almost no variation in the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle. With these, the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate can be adjusted to be constant.
(2) The plurality of valves include first and second opening/closing valves that are switched between an open state and a closed state, the processing liquid flow path includes first and second flow paths, and the first flow path is , The treatment liquid nozzle is provided so as to guide the treatment liquid, the first and second opening/closing valves are provided in the first flow passage, and the second passage is provided so as to bypass the second opening/closing valve. The valve control unit maintains the first and second opening/closing valves in the open state during the processing period, and maintains the first opening/closing valve in the open state at the first time point while opening the second opening/closing valve. It is also possible to switch to the closed state and switch the first on-off valve to the closed state while maintaining the second on-off valve to the closed state at the second time point.
In this case, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle through both the first and second flow paths during the processing. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value. During the period from the first time point to the second time point, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle only through the second flow path. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the second value. Therefore, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle can be gradually reduced from the first value with a simple configuration.
(3) The plurality of valves include an open/close valve that can be switched between an open state and a closed state, and a flow rate adjustment valve that can adjust the opening degree, and the valve control unit maintains the open/close valve in the open state during the processing period. While maintaining the opening of the flow rate adjusting valve at the third value, gradually decreasing the opening of the flow rate adjusting valve from the third value to the fourth value from the first time point, and opening and closing at the second time point. The valve may be closed.
In this case, the opening/closing valve is maintained in the open state, the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve is maintained at the third value, and the flow rate of the processing liquid becomes the first value during the processing period. The opening of the flow rate adjusting valve is gradually reduced from the third value to the fourth value from the first time point, whereby the flow rate of the processing liquid is gradually reduced from the first value to the second value. .. As a result, the kinetic energy of the processing liquid in the processing liquid nozzle gradually decreases. Therefore, it is possible to prevent large droplets of the processing liquid from dropping from the processing liquid nozzle onto the substrate between the first time point and the second time point.
(4) The treatment liquid supply system may further include a pull-up unit that raises the liquid level of the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid nozzle after the treatment is completed.
In this case, the treatment liquid remaining in the treatment liquid nozzle after the treatment is prevented from dropping due to its own weight. This sufficiently prevents variations in the amount of the processing liquid remaining in the processing liquid nozzle. Further, it is possible to prevent processing defects from occurring on the substrate due to the dropping of the processing liquid.
(5) The processing liquid nozzle may be stationary above the substrate at the first time point and the second time point during the processing.
In this case, the processing liquid is stably supplied to the substrate from the first time point to the second time point. Thereby, the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate can be adjusted with high accuracy.
(6) The substrate processing method according to the second reference embodiment is a substrate processing method for performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, which includes a step of introducing the processing liquid to a processing liquid nozzle by a processing liquid supply system, Discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate, and the processing liquid supply system includes a processing liquid flow path for guiding the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle and a plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid flow path. The step of introducing the processing liquid to the nozzle includes the steps of setting the states of the plurality of valves so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a first value during the processing, and the first step at the end of the processing. A step of changing at least one state of the plurality of valves so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a second value lower than the first value at a time point of And changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at the second time point.
According to this substrate processing method, the supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle is stopped after the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is reduced from the first value to the second value. Therefore, at the time when the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the kinetic energy of the processing liquid in the processing liquid nozzle is small. As a result, the amount of the treatment liquid that drops from the treatment liquid nozzle after the supply of the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle is stopped is small, and the amount of the treatment liquid that has dropped hardly varies. Therefore, the distance between the lower end of the processing liquid remaining in the processing liquid nozzle and the lower end of the processing liquid nozzle hardly varies. Further, since the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is switched by the plurality of valves, the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is less likely to vary. With these, the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate can be adjusted to be constant.
(7) The plurality of valves include first and second opening/closing valves that are switched between an open state and a closed state, the processing liquid flow path includes first and second flow paths, and the first flow path is , The treatment liquid nozzle is provided so as to guide the treatment liquid, the first and second opening/closing valves are provided in the first flow passage, and the second passage is provided so as to bypass the second opening/closing valve. And setting the states of the plurality of valves during the process includes maintaining the first and second on-off valves in an open state, the state of at least one of the plurality of valves at a first time point. Changing the second on-off valve to the closed state while maintaining the first on-off valve in the open state, and changing at least one state of the plurality of valves at the second time point. May include switching the first on-off valve to the closed state while maintaining the second on-off valve in the closed state.
In this case, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle through both the first and second flow paths during the processing. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the first value. During the period from the first time point to the second time point, the processing liquid is guided to the processing liquid nozzle only through the second flow path. As a result, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes the second value. Therefore, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle can be gradually reduced from the first value with a simple configuration.
(8) The plurality of valves includes an on-off valve that can be switched between an open state and a closed state, and a flow rate adjustment valve that can adjust the opening degree, and the step of setting the states of the plurality of valves during the processing period is performed by opening and closing. The step of changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves at the first time point, which includes maintaining the opening degree of the flow rate control valve at the third value while maintaining the valve in the open state, is performed at the first time point. From the third value to the fourth value, the step of changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves at the second time point includes closing the on-off valve. It may include switching to a state.
In this case, the opening/closing valve is maintained in the open state, the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve is maintained at the third value, and the flow rate of the processing liquid becomes the first value during the processing period. The opening of the flow rate adjusting valve is gradually reduced from the third value to the fourth value from the first time point, whereby the flow rate of the processing liquid is gradually reduced from the first value to the second value. .. As a result, the kinetic energy of the processing liquid in the processing liquid nozzle gradually decreases. Therefore, it is possible to prevent large droplets of the processing liquid from dropping from the processing liquid nozzle onto the substrate between the first time point and the second time point.

The present invention can be effectively used for various substrate processing apparatuses.

10 Indexer Section 20 Processing Section 21 Processing Unit 21a Chemical Solution Processing Room 21b Chemical Solution Supply Section 30 Auxiliary Section 31 Liquid Circulation Room 100 Substrate Processing Apparatus 110 Rotation Holding Section 120 Processing Cup 130 Processing Solution Nozzle 150 Flow Rate Adjustment Section 200 Control Section Pd Branch Pipe Pt Auxiliary pipe Vc Restriction part Vd Discharge valve Vp Front stop valve Vp1 Flow rate adjustment valve Vs suck back valve

Claims (7)

A substrate processing apparatus for performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate,
A processing liquid nozzle for discharging the processing liquid onto the substrate,
A treatment liquid supply system for guiding the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle;
The processing liquid supply system is
A treatment liquid flow path for introducing a treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle,
A plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid flow path,
A valve control unit for controlling the plurality of valves,
The plurality of valves include an opening/closing valve that is switched between an open state and a closed state, and a flow rate adjusting valve that can adjust the opening degree, and the flow rate adjusting valve is provided downstream of the open/close valve,
The valve control unit sets the states of the plurality of valves such that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path has a first value during the processing, and the first valve at the end of the processing is set. By starting to decrease the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve at a time point, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path is decreased to a second value lower than the first value, and after the first time point. A substrate processing apparatus in which the opening/closing valve is switched to a closed state so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at a second time point. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate adjustment valve is a flow rate adjustment valve whose opening is adjusted by controlling a motor . A substrate processing apparatus for performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate,
A processing liquid nozzle for discharging the processing liquid onto the substrate,
A treatment liquid supply system for guiding the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle;
The processing liquid supply system is
A treatment liquid flow path for introducing a treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle,
A plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid flow path,
A valve control unit for controlling the plurality of valves,
The valve control unit sets the states of the plurality of valves such that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path has a first value during the processing, and the first valve at the end of the processing is set. At least one state of the plurality of valves is changed so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a second value lower than the first value at a time point, and the state is changed after the first time point. Changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at the second time point of
The plurality of valves include first and second opening/closing valves that are switched between an open state and a closed state,
The processing liquid flow path includes first and second flow paths,
The first flow path is provided so as to guide the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle,
The first and second on-off valves are provided in the first flow path,
The second flow path is provided so as to bypass the second on-off valve,
The valve control unit maintains the first and second opening/closing valves in an open state during the process, and maintains the first opening/closing valve in an open state at the first time point while maintaining the second opening/closing valve. The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the opening/closing valve is switched to a closed state, and the first opening/closing valve is switched to a closed state while maintaining the second opening/closing valve at the second time point. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid supply system further includes a pulling unit that lifts a liquid level of the processing liquid in the processing liquid nozzle after the processing is completed. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid nozzle stands still above the substrate during the processing, the first time point, and the second time point. A substrate processing method for performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, comprising:
Guiding the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle by the treatment liquid supply system,
Discharging the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle to the substrate,
The processing liquid supply system includes a processing liquid channel that guides the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, and a plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid channel,
The plurality of valves include an opening/closing valve that is switched between an open state and a closed state, and a flow rate adjusting valve that can adjust the opening degree, and the flow rate adjusting valve is provided downstream of the open/close valve,
The step of introducing the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle comprises:
Setting the states of the plurality of valves such that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path has a first value during the processing period;
Decreasing the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path to a second value lower than the first value by starting to decrease the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve at a first time point at the end of the processing When,
Switching the on-off valve to a closed state so that the processing liquid flow path is closed at a second time point after the first time point. A substrate processing method for performing processing using a processing liquid on a substrate, comprising:
Guiding the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle by the treatment liquid supply system,
Discharging the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle to the substrate,
The processing liquid supply system includes a processing liquid channel that guides the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, and a plurality of valves provided in the processing liquid channel,
The step of introducing the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid nozzle comprises:
Setting the states of the plurality of valves such that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a first value during the processing period;
At least one state of the plurality of valves is changed so that the flow rate of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow path becomes a second value lower than the first value at a first time point at the end of the processing. Steps,
Changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves so that the treatment liquid flow path is closed at a second time point after the first time point,
The plurality of valves include first and second opening/closing valves that are switched between an open state and a closed state,
The processing liquid flow path includes first and second flow paths,
The first flow path is provided so as to guide the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle,
The first and second on-off valves are provided in the first flow path,
The second flow path is provided so as to bypass the second on-off valve,
Setting the states of the plurality of valves during the process includes maintaining the first and second on-off valves in an open state,
Changing at least one state of the plurality of valves at the first time point includes switching the second on-off valve to a closed state while maintaining the first on-off valve in an open state,
Changing the state of at least one of the plurality of valves at the second time point includes switching the first on-off valve to a closed state while maintaining the second on-off valve in a closed state, Substrate processing method.

Images